A boat carrying 500 refugees sunk at sea. The story of two survivors | Melissa Fleming | TEDxThessaloniki
-
0:12 - 0:17Every day, I listen to harrowing stories
of people fleeing for their lives, -
0:17 - 0:21across dangerous borders
and unfriendly seas. -
0:22 - 0:26But there's one story
that keeps me awake at night, -
0:26 - 0:28and it's about Doaa.
-
0:28 - 0:30A Syrian refugee, 19 years old,
-
0:30 - 0:35she was living a grinding existence
in Egypt. -
0:36 - 0:39She was working day wages.
-
0:39 - 0:43Her dad was constantly thinking
of his thriving business back in Syria -
0:43 - 0:46that had been blown to pieces by a bomb.
-
0:47 - 0:53And the war that drove them there
was still raging in its fourth year. -
0:54 - 0:57And the community
that once welcomed them there -
0:57 - 0:59had become weary of them.
-
1:00 - 1:04And one day, men on motorcycles
tried to kidnap her. -
1:04 - 1:09Once an aspiring student
thinking only of her future, -
1:09 - 1:12now she was scared all the time.
-
1:14 - 1:16But she was also full of hope,
-
1:16 - 1:21because she was in love
with a fellow Syrian refugee named Bassem. -
1:21 - 1:25Bassem was also struggling in Egypt,
and he said to Doaa, -
1:25 - 1:29"Let's go to Europe; seek asylum, safety.
-
1:29 - 1:34I will work, you can study --
the promise of a new life." -
1:34 - 1:37And he asked her father
for her hand in marriage. -
1:38 - 1:40And her father said yes.
-
1:40 - 1:44But they knew to get to Europe
they had to risk their lives, -
1:46 - 1:49traveling across the Mediterranean Sea,
-
1:49 - 1:53putting their hands in smugglers',
notorious for their cruelty. -
1:55 - 1:58And Doaa was terrified of the water.
-
1:59 - 2:02She always had been.
She never learned to swim. -
2:04 - 2:08It was August that year,
and already 2,000 people had died -
2:08 - 2:11trying to cross the Mediterranean,
-
2:11 - 2:15but Doaa knew of a friend who had made it
all the way to Northern Europe, -
2:15 - 2:18and she thought, "Maybe we can, too."
-
2:18 - 2:21So she asked her parents if they could go,
-
2:21 - 2:24and after a painful discussion,
they consented, -
2:25 - 2:30and Bassem paid his entire life savings --
2,500 dollars each -- -
2:31 - 2:33to the smugglers.
-
2:33 - 2:34It was a Saturday morning
when the call came, -
2:34 - 2:39and they were taken by bus to a beach,
hundreds of people on the beach. -
2:39 - 2:43They were taken then by small boats
onto an old fishing boat, -
2:43 - 2:46500 of them crammed onto that boat,
-
2:46 - 2:48300 below, 500 above.
-
2:49 - 2:54There were Syrians, Palestinians,
Africans, Muslims and Christians, -
2:54 - 2:59100 children, including Sandra --
little Sandra, six years old -- -
2:59 - 3:02and Masa, 18 months.
-
3:03 - 3:07There were families on that boat,
crammed together shoulder to shoulder, -
3:07 - 3:09feet to feet.
-
3:09 - 3:13Doaa was sitting with her legs
crammed up to her chest, -
3:13 - 3:15Bassem holding her hand.
-
3:16 - 3:19Day two on the water,
they were sick with worry -
3:19 - 3:22and sick to their stomachs
from the rough sea. -
3:23 - 3:26Day three, Doaa had a premonition.
-
3:27 - 3:32And she said to Bassem,
"I fear we're not going to make it. -
3:32 - 3:34I fear the boat is going to sink."
-
3:35 - 3:38And Bassem said to her,
"Please be patient. -
3:38 - 3:41We will make it to Sweden,
we will get married -
3:41 - 3:42and we will have a future."
-
3:44 - 3:48Day four, the passengers
were getting agitated. -
3:48 - 3:51They asked the captain,
"When will we get there?" -
3:51 - 3:54He told them to shut up,
and he insulted them. -
3:55 - 3:58He said, "In 16 hours we will reach
the shores of Italy." -
3:59 - 4:02They were weak and weary.
-
4:02 - 4:06Soon they saw a boat approach --
a smaller boat, 10 men on board, -
4:06 - 4:09who started shouting at them,
hurling insults, -
4:09 - 4:14throwing sticks, asking them
to all disembark -
4:14 - 4:18and get on this smaller,
more unseaworthy boat. -
4:18 - 4:21The parents were terrified
for their children, -
4:21 - 4:25and they collectively
refused to disembark. -
4:26 - 4:29So the boat sped away in anger,
-
4:29 - 4:34and a half an hour later, came back
-
4:34 - 4:40and started deliberately ramming a hole
in the side of Doaa's boat, -
4:40 - 4:42just below where she
and Bassem were sitting. -
4:44 - 4:47And she heard how they yelled,
-
4:47 - 4:50"Let the fish eat your flesh!"
-
4:52 - 4:57And they started laughing
as the boat capsized and sank. -
4:58 - 5:01The 300 people below deck were doomed.
-
5:02 - 5:06Doaa was holding on to the side
of the boat as it sank, -
5:06 - 5:13and watched in horror as a small child
was cut to pieces by the propeller. -
5:14 - 5:17Bassem said to her, "Please let go,
-
5:17 - 5:20or you'll be swept in and the propeller
will kill you, too." -
5:20 - 5:22And remember -- she can't swim.
-
5:23 - 5:27But she let go and she started moving
her arms and her legs, -
5:27 - 5:29thinking, "This is swimming."
-
5:29 - 5:33And miraculously,
Bassem found a life ring. -
5:34 - 5:36It was one of those child's rings
-
5:36 - 5:40that they use to play
in swimming pools and on calm seas. -
5:40 - 5:42And Doaa climbed onto the ring,
-
5:42 - 5:46her arms and her legs
dangling by the side. -
5:47 - 5:49Bassem was a good swimmer,
-
5:49 - 5:53so he held her hand and tread water.
-
5:54 - 5:56Around them there were corpses.
-
5:56 - 5:58Around 100 people survived initially,
-
5:59 - 6:03and they started coming together
in groups, praying for rescue. -
6:03 - 6:07But when a day went by and no one came,
-
6:07 - 6:09some people gave up hope,
-
6:09 - 6:11and Doaa and Bassem watched
-
6:11 - 6:18as men in the distance took their
life vests off and sank into the water. -
6:19 - 6:25One man approached them
with a small baby perched on his shoulder, -
6:25 - 6:27nine months old -- Malek.
-
6:27 - 6:32He was holding onto a gas canister
to stay afloat, and he said to them, -
6:32 - 6:34"I fear I am not going to survive.
-
6:34 - 6:36I'm too weak. I don't have
the courage anymore." -
6:37 - 6:42And he handed little Malek
over to Bassem and to Doaa, -
6:42 - 6:45and they perched her onto the life ring.
-
6:46 - 6:51So now they were three,
Doaa, Bassem and little Malek. -
6:51 - 6:54And let me take a pause
in this story right here -
6:54 - 6:57and ask the question:
-
6:57 - 7:01why do refugees like Doaa
take these kinds of risks? -
7:03 - 7:08Millions of refugees are living
in exile, in limbo. -
7:09 - 7:14They're living in countries [fleeing]
from a war that has been raging -
7:14 - 7:16for four years.
-
7:18 - 7:21Even if they wanted to return, they can't.
-
7:21 - 7:24Their homes, their businesses,
-
7:24 - 7:27their towns and their cities
have been completely destroyed. -
7:27 - 7:30This is a UNESCO World Heritage City,
-
7:30 - 7:32Homs, in Syria.
-
7:33 - 7:38So people continue to flee
into neighboring countries, -
7:38 - 7:41and we build refugee camps
for them in the desert. -
7:41 - 7:45Hundreds of thousands of people
live in camps like these, -
7:45 - 7:50and thousands and thousands more,
millions, live in towns and cities. -
7:50 - 7:52And the communities,
-
7:52 - 7:54the neighboring countries
that once welcomed them -
7:54 - 7:56with open arms and hearts
-
7:56 - 7:58are overwhelmed.
-
7:59 - 8:03There are simply not enough schools,
water systems, sanitation. -
8:04 - 8:08Even rich European countries
could never handle such an influx -
8:08 - 8:12without massive investment.
-
8:13 - 8:18The Syria war has driven almost
four million people over the borders, -
8:18 - 8:23but over seven million people
are on the run inside the country. -
8:23 - 8:27That means that over half
the Syrian population -
8:27 - 8:29has been forced to flee.
-
8:30 - 8:34Back to those neighboring
countries hosting so many. -
8:35 - 8:40They feel that the richer world
has done too little to support them. -
8:41 - 8:46And days have turned into months,
months into years. -
8:46 - 8:50A refugee's stay is supposed
to be temporary. -
8:50 - 8:53Back to Doaa and Bassem in the water.
-
8:53 - 8:58It was their second day,
and Bassem was getting very weak. -
8:59 - 9:03And now it was Doaa's turn
to say to Bassem, -
9:03 - 9:08"My love, please hold on to hope,
to our future. We will make it." -
9:09 - 9:12And he said to her,
-
9:12 - 9:17"I'm sorry, my love,
that I put you in this situation. -
9:17 - 9:21I have never loved anyone
as much as I love you." -
9:23 - 9:26And he released himself into the water,
-
9:26 - 9:33and Doaa watched as the love of her life
drowned before her eyes. -
9:36 - 9:38Later that day,
-
9:38 - 9:44a mother came up to Doaa with her
small 18-month-old daughter, Masa. -
9:45 - 9:48This was the little girl I showed you
in the picture earlier, -
9:48 - 9:50with the life vests.
-
9:50 - 9:52Her older sister Sandra had just drowned,
-
9:52 - 9:56and her mother knew she had to do
everything in her power -
9:56 - 9:57to save her daughter.
-
9:58 - 10:02And she said to Doaa,
"Please take this child. -
10:02 - 10:06Let her be part of you.
I will not survive." -
10:07 - 10:10And then she went away and drowned.
-
10:12 - 10:16So Doaa, the 19-year-old refugee
who was terrified of the water, -
10:16 - 10:18who couldn't swim,
-
10:18 - 10:24found herself in charge
of two little baby kids. -
10:24 - 10:27And they were thirsty and they were hungry
and they were agitated, -
10:27 - 10:30and she tried her best to amuse them,
-
10:30 - 10:34to sing to them, to say words
to them from the Quran. -
10:35 - 10:40Around them, the bodies were bloating
and turning black. -
10:40 - 10:41The sun was blazing during the day.
-
10:41 - 10:44At night, there was a cold moon and fog.
-
10:44 - 10:46It was very frightening.
-
10:47 - 10:52On the fourth day in the water,
this is how Doaa probably looked -
10:52 - 10:54on the ring with her two children.
-
10:54 - 10:57A woman came on the fourth day
and approached her -
10:57 - 11:01and asked her to take another child --
-
11:01 - 11:04a little boy, just four years old.
-
11:05 - 11:09When Doaa took the little boy
and the mother drowned, -
11:09 - 11:11she said to the sobbing child,
-
11:11 - 11:14"She just went away
to find you water and food." -
11:16 - 11:18But his heart soon stopped,
-
11:18 - 11:22and Doaa had to release
the little boy into the water. -
11:23 - 11:25Later that day,
-
11:25 - 11:28she looked up into the sky with hope,
-
11:28 - 11:32because she saw two planes
crossing in the sky. -
11:32 - 11:37And she waved her arms,
hoping they would see her, -
11:37 - 11:39but the planes were soon gone.
-
11:39 - 11:42But that afternoon,
as the sun was going down, -
11:42 - 11:45she saw a boat, a merchant vessel.
-
11:46 - 11:50And she said, "Please, God,
let them rescue me." -
11:50 - 11:54She waved her arms and she felt
like she shouted for about two hours. -
11:54 - 11:59And it had become dark,
but finally the searchlights found her -
11:59 - 12:01and they extended a rope,
-
12:01 - 12:06astonished to see a woman
clutching onto two babies. -
12:07 - 12:10They pulled them onto the boat,
they got oxygen and blankets, -
12:10 - 12:13and a Greek helicopter came
to pick them up -
12:13 - 12:15and take them to the island of Crete.
-
12:16 - 12:20But Doaa looked down and asked,
"What of Malek?" -
12:20 - 12:24And they told her the little baby
did not survive -- -
12:24 - 12:27she drew her last breath
in the boat's clinic. -
12:28 - 12:34But Doaa was sure that as they had
been pulled up onto the rescue boat, -
12:34 - 12:37that little baby girl had been smiling.
-
12:39 - 12:45Only 11 people survived
that wreck, of the 500. -
12:46 - 12:51There was never an international
investigation into what happened. -
12:51 - 12:55There were some media reports
about mass murder at sea, -
12:55 - 12:56a terrible tragedy,
-
12:56 - 12:59but that was only for one day.
-
12:59 - 13:03And then the news cycle moved on.
-
13:05 - 13:09Meanwhile, in a pediatric
hospital on Crete, -
13:09 - 13:12little Masa was on the edge of death.
-
13:14 - 13:17She was really dehydrated.
Her kidneys were failing. -
13:17 - 13:19Her glucose levels were dangerously low.
-
13:19 - 13:23The doctors did everything
in their medical power to save them, -
13:23 - 13:27and the Greek nurses never left her side,
-
13:27 - 13:29holding her, hugging her,
singing her words. -
13:29 - 13:34My colleagues also visited
and said pretty words to her in Arabic. -
13:34 - 13:39Amazingly, little Masa survived.
-
13:40 - 13:46And soon the Greek press started reporting
about the miracle baby, -
13:46 - 13:52who had survived four days in the water
without food or anything to drink, -
13:52 - 13:57and offers to adopt her came
from all over the country. -
13:57 - 14:01And meanwhile, Doaa
was in another hospital on Crete, -
14:01 - 14:02thin, dehydrated.
-
14:04 - 14:09An Egyptian family took her into their
home as soon as she was released. -
14:10 - 14:15And soon word went around
about Doaa's survival, -
14:15 - 14:18and a phone number
was published on Facebook. -
14:19 - 14:22Messages started coming in.
-
14:23 - 14:28"Doaa, do you know
what happened to my brother? -
14:28 - 14:34My sister? My parents? My friends?
Do you know if they survived?" -
14:35 - 14:39One of those messages said,
-
14:39 - 14:43"I believe you saved
my little niece, Masa." -
14:44 - 14:47And it had this photo.
-
14:48 - 14:50This was from Masa's uncle,
-
14:50 - 14:55a Syrian refugee who had made it
to Sweden with his family -
14:55 - 14:57and also Masa's older sister.
-
14:58 - 15:03Soon, we hope, Masa will be reunited
with him in Sweden, -
15:03 - 15:09and until then, she's being cared for
in a beautiful orphanage in Athens. -
15:10 - 15:16And Doaa? Well, word went around
about her survival, too. -
15:17 - 15:21And the media wrote
about this slight woman, -
15:21 - 15:25and couldn't imagine how
she could survive all this time -
15:25 - 15:28under such conditions in that sea,
-
15:28 - 15:31and still save another life.
-
15:32 - 15:38The Academy of Athens, one of Greece's
most prestigious institutions, -
15:38 - 15:41gave her an award of bravery,
-
15:41 - 15:44and she deserves all that praise,
-
15:44 - 15:47and she deserves a second chance.
-
15:48 - 15:51But she wants to still go to Sweden.
-
15:51 - 15:54She wants to reunite
with her family there. -
15:54 - 15:58She wants to bring her mother
and her father and her younger siblings -
15:58 - 16:00away from Egypt there as well,
-
16:00 - 16:03and I believe she will succeed.
-
16:03 - 16:06She wants to become a lawyer
or a politician -
16:06 - 16:11or something that can help
fight injustice. -
16:11 - 16:14She is an extraordinary survivor.
-
16:15 - 16:18But I have to ask:
-
16:18 - 16:20what if she didn't have to take that risk?
-
16:20 - 16:23Why did she have to go through all that?
-
16:23 - 16:28Why wasn't there a legal way
for her to study in Europe? -
16:28 - 16:33Why couldn't Masa have taken
an airplane to Sweden? -
16:33 - 16:35Why couldn't Bassem have found work?
-
16:36 - 16:42Why is there no massive resettlement
program for Syrian refugees, -
16:42 - 16:45the victims of the worst war of our times?
-
16:46 - 16:51The world did this for the Vietnamese
in the 1970s. Why not now? -
16:53 - 16:57Why is there so little investment
in the neighboring countries -
16:57 - 17:00hosting so many refugees?
-
17:01 - 17:04And why, the root question,
-
17:04 - 17:10is so little being done to stop
the wars, the persecution -
17:10 - 17:15and the poverty that is driving
so many people -
17:15 - 17:17to the shores of Europe?
-
17:18 - 17:21Until these issues are resolved,
-
17:21 - 17:24people will continue to take to the seas
-
17:24 - 17:27and to seek safety and asylum.
-
17:28 - 17:30And what happens next?
-
17:30 - 17:33Well, that is largely Europe's choice.
-
17:33 - 17:36And I understand the public fears.
-
17:37 - 17:43People are worried about their security,
their economies, the changes of culture. -
17:44 - 17:48But is that more important
than saving human lives? -
17:49 - 17:52Because there is something
fundamental here -
17:52 - 17:54that I think overrides the rest,
-
17:54 - 17:58and it is about our common humanity.
-
17:59 - 18:03No person fleeing war or persecution
-
18:03 - 18:08should have to die
crossing a sea to reach safety. -
18:08 - 18:15(Applause)
-
18:15 - 18:16One thing is for sure,
-
18:16 - 18:19that no refugee would be
on those dangerous boats -
18:19 - 18:21if they could thrive where they are.
-
18:22 - 18:25And no migrant would take
that dangerous journey -
18:25 - 18:29if they had enough food
for themselves and their children. -
18:29 - 18:31And no one would put their life savings
-
18:31 - 18:34in the hands of those notorious smugglers
-
18:34 - 18:37if there was a legal way to migrate.
-
18:37 - 18:41So on behalf of little Masa
-
18:41 - 18:43and on behalf of Doaa
-
18:43 - 18:45and of Bassem
-
18:45 - 18:50and of those 500 people
who drowned with them, -
18:50 - 18:53can we make sure that they
did not die in vain? -
18:54 - 18:58Could we be inspired by what happened,
-
18:58 - 19:04and take a stand for a world
in which every life matters? -
19:05 - 19:06Thank you.
-
19:06 - 19:13(Applause)
- Title:
- A boat carrying 500 refugees sunk at sea. The story of two survivors | Melissa Fleming | TEDxThessaloniki
- Description:
-
Aboard an overloaded ship carrying more than 500 refugees, a young woman becomes an unlikely hero. This single, powerful story, told by Melissa Fleming of the UN's refugee agency, gives a human face to the sheer numbers of human beings trying to escape to better lives ... as the refugee ships keep coming ...
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDxTalks
- Duration:
- 21:51